The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-26
NANCY DEDMAN.
Eom,asdo1ffllon,s Muoaefn..

Fromsasdcln1on's Mdgoef,se.,
s.Itswas an ugly bit Of travelling, Il. can
tdI you, over Hinde, Head, in myyoung
days; as lonesome a. place as any in the
country round And it weren't for nothing
rs they gived the place to the Devil neitherx,
themes the Devils Jumps over to Erensham.
and his Punchbowl at your feet; and over
10 the Downs you see hisyery markslshis
claws as where he grabbed as he fell And
the deeds. donesrounds about were his own
and no mistake.
s'Initmnking now of a tale as isnot So
known.asit should be. That stone before
We tells ofthe poor sailor chap'as was muir!
dered here, for his money, no doubt-com-
ing from Portsmouth he were; but no stone
nor nobook, SO far as know, has spoke for
Nancy Dedman.
.sHers was death indeed. can't speak,
to thelpartildars, for had it as it were
handed down through ninety wears and
more; but / won't tell you lie if L can
help it; and for all haven't it chapter and
verse, its wonderful lifesome, too.
''The Dedmans lived, when they was TO
home in a bit of place in the Combe there
You might pass within yard of it and not.
see it, so grandfather said. They was of a
smuggling crew. There was chain of them
smugglers from Portsmouth all the way.
and wild set they was They had the
country on their side, though, and the coast
guardses was thought no better of than
they deserved. There was two brothers.
and Nancy was the one girl. She was a
beauty by all accounts-very wild, too, and
as as rare a one at smuggling as any of
Them and she would ride bareback on any
horse and be out all night and all day, and
many's the time when she's kept the coast
guardses at bay, and done many bit of
business as wanted womaps wit and a
mans strength.
''She must have been still a lass when
there was news of rare lot of spirits and
baccy Gtwas the war tinia), and the word
was passed along the line from Portsmouth
to Hinde Head, and beyond, too, in course
And the Kings men got wind on it, and
they made ready for fray-they thought
as how they would break the neck of this
smuggling business; more fools they; as if
poor men were to be put down and denied
their rights so easy! Well, it seems as
they'd planned to put so many at each
of the smuggling posts, all ready
and they said they would settle all
and easy, too, excepting the Dedman
lot, on account of Dick Dedman; he
was wonderful power of man. They
had a warrant agin him ever so long, but
never could lay hand on him, nor find out
where he put up SO one of the Kings men
Ia sharp young fellow, whose father was
farmer, but lately come over to this side of
Godalming), he took the job. And he
dropped down one day on Nancy Dedman
in the Combe, and made out as he were a
sailor on his way to Lunnon: and he asked
for, a bite and drink. And she looked
him up and down, and her decidement were
that he ment no harm, so she asked him in
talked from one to t'other of foreign
parts and the wars; and Nancy, she
were terrible took up with it all;
and he had, they said, a way with
chap, too, but for his trade Well,
without so much as her finding out, sheget
to tell he that she is alone till the night till
the old man come, and that he and the lads
was away: Joe to Guilford and Dick to the
mill over by. Haslemere he was but lately
come back and keeping quiet; giving his
WORK, and every one was on his side and
would not betray he to any of the Kings
men-she, who was that sharp they called
her 'Hawk-eyed Nance, she were drawed on
and on-and he wound up with more of his
tales, and went on his way, leaving her
thinking on the Indies, and wishing she.
might see the sailor again.
But he, he went back to his mates, and
they followed Dick up, and sure enough.
they nailed him at the mill and he werei
fray come off, and the coastguardses beat
the smugglers all along the line, and Joe
Dedman was killed in the fray, and the old
man swore as he would track the traitor
who told on Dick and take his life for his
son Joe for had Dick been there he would
have made one too many for the devils of
Kings men. Nancy hadn't a thought as
how it were she; no, not when at the Has
emere Faring she nett sailor, who said
as how he'd settled down with his father,
old Farmer Kemp, to Godalning-which
was truth, for he'd giv'd up the coast
guardsing.
Zone way and another they was always
meeting, and young Kemp he lost his heart
10 she, and they say as he told his father as
he must have Nancy Dedman or he would
be off to the war The old farmer shookd
his head, but he could never give his son
any denial, and when once he brought
Nancy to see the old man, he said he were
bound to confess that Nancy had the ways
Of a lady, for all she were SO brown, and was
Of the Dedman lot. 1t make a deal of talk,
but old Dedman, he took no heed, till one day
lit were soon after Dick come home; never
heard who gotten him out, but it were soon
hitter. Well, one day Nancy spoke up that
she was going to get married and to young
Farmer Kemp There was a kick upl the
bid man and Dick had set their minds to
give Nancy to their crew at Portsmouth; to
keep ner In the trade, ana 10 keep JneI-
selves fair with the head crew there. And
the whole crew was mad after Nancy Ded-
man. Nancy stood to it that she'd marry
young Kemp; and they gave her time OF
It! a regular persecution as ever you find In
Foxs Martyrs, short of the stake well say.
But Nancy were none of the kittle sort;
she stood to her say-and one day
when they were out of the house, but
not far off, for they never left she
alone, Jim Kemp crawled in from among
the bracken shed advertised he of the
!. danger and tells her as his father was just
dead, and be must have an end of this, and
will she fix the days He said as how he'd
come and take her away by force If need
be, he and some of his old mates; and as she
was puzzling how he could get lot OF sail
ors, all of sudden you see she lknowd
nought of the coastguard's business Dick
looked in at the door! and his face was the
devils own Us it flashed to me that there
stood the man as had nailed him IN the mill
and had him to prison. And Nancy saw
him; and Jim saw him, and turned milk
white; Dicks look was enough to curdle
your very blood Traitor! Nance! said he,
so you We're carrying on and we never
nta1 a,.1 xvf,tta ne